Callisto Arrives (tag: ALL)

[callisto]

Callisto stepped off the ferry, a warm breeze blowing from behind, eyes searching the area. She saw no threats, detecting a few mutants in the area. This was the place... finally, she had found the Brotherhood's lair. She walked across the deserted streets, wondering why Magneto would choose a place like this as a hideout.

No, not Magneto. Pyro. He's the leader now. How'd a child like that become a leader, anyway? Bastard.

She scanned the area again, detecting the same mutants, deciding that she should run for it now. Get there before any alarms could be activated, before more powerful mutants decide to attack. Another scan, satisfied with the same results, Callisto smiled. She was sweating beneath the leather, but she wouldn't show it. She couldn't. She needed to impress the new boss. But he had to impress her too. If his army was as terrible as hers, then she'd leave. She wasn't going to waste her valuable time.

Another check of the area, she took a step forward... and broke out into the run. She was fast, not exactly like Quicksilver, but fast enough. Feet pounded across the dirt, body dodging and villagers in her way. She could see the compound ahead, tall, menacing...

Looks good enough... from the outside, at least...

She felt the spike in electricity as an alarm was activated, at least two seconds after she stepped into the range of the motion sensors, and she knew mutants were coming. So she slowed, coming to a complete stop not far from the front door. Callisto spread her arms out, spreading her legs.

"I'm not armed." she called out. "I'm just here to talk."

[Juggers]

The Juggernaut was almost back to his room, clutching a half eaten sandwich when the proximity alarm sang out its wailing tune once more. He stood there, sandwich half raised to his mouth and listened to the sound for a full five seconds before realising nobody else was going to get it.

Again.

"Dosn't anybody fuckin' KNOCK anymore!" He rumbled before charging off down the hallway.

He thundered past Pyro's office without bothering to check in on the lad. He still wasn't absolutely convinced about the head-doctoring the blonde bitch had done but for some reason Cain didn't feel any special need to question her on it.

He was pretty sure there was something wrong about that. The sooner he could get Python down to the machine shop the better.

Right now however the air was full of wailing klaxons announcing the arrival of yet another guest. Or maybe, just maybe, this time it would be an enemy.

The Juggernaut hoped so.

He rushed through the still unfixed door and out into the training yard where he had a perfectly good view of Callisto, stood there, arms flung wide.

"What the FUCK are you doin' 'ere?" Cain shouted across the shattered expanse of ground.

Something else important occurred to him.

"An why ain't you dead?"

[callisto]

She saw Juggernaut coming, straightening, checking the small belt on her waist to make sure the small knives she swore she didn't have were safely hidden. Callisto took a few steps forward, staring at him, wondering how such an idiot could be so powerful. She could tell he was one of higher mutants there was, thanks to his strength more than anything. He's be trouble if he decided to attack, although she knew he wouldn't. She'd beat him anyway...

"Why does Pyro's brawn even give a shit?" Callisto asked, placing her hands on her hips, easily in reach of those knives. "I want to talk to him... not his small-brained muscle-head security gaurd."

She smiled, hoping that this was getting to him.

"I've come to join the Brotherhood... if it is still up to its usual standards..."

Frowning at the lack of response to the alarm.

"Which it seems not to be..."

[Juggers]

"Since 'e 'as more important things to do than answer the bloody door." She was as arrogant as ever, which wasn't bad for someone who was supposedly dead and really not bad for someone attempting to face down the Juggernaut.

"You can shut the alarm up now Gill!" He bellowed over his shoulder and a few moments later the wailing klaxon died off.

"But leave the sentries live," he grinned at Callisto, "dunno if we want to let 'er royal highness in yet."

Magneto might have valued her, but Cain was pretty sure that Pyro hadn't always seen eye to eye with her. If she wanted to come down here with an attitude that was fine. The Juggernaut could deal with that.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with the Brotherhood girlie," he shrugged his massive shoulders, "I'm just the warm face of welcome is all. If I ain't convinced, Pyro ain't convinced."

He cracked his knuckles and stretched.

"So convince me."

[dharma]

Having heard the alarms, Dharma calmly rose from the work he'd been doing in the jungle and shifted to the form of a small bird. Speeding toward the entranceway of the compound, he caught the young woman and Juggernaut in a somewhat tense looking standoff. Fluttering down to the sand just behind Cain, he reformed- a tall asian man in black robes, waist-length blac hair braided back at the temples with the rest floating free on the breeze behind him.

He did not look to the Juggernaut, knowing if there was something Dharma needed to know, the larger man would tell him. Neither was this his place to speak; he was neither a leader here nor familiar with the comings and goings of the Brotherhood. But if Cain and the Brotherhood needed his assistance, he was there.

Dharma watched Callisto with a placid, unwavering expression, waiting, as he would say, like mist waits for wind; unmoved until its purpose arrives.

[callisto]

She smiled lightly, detecting another mutant close by... she didn't bother with classifying it now, because she could tell by its safe distance that they were only watching for now... Callisto smiled herself, stretching out...

"I'd think Pyro would want someone as skilled as me on his side..." she said. "Of course, if I need to fight someone to prove it... I can deal with that..."

Callisto took two steps forward, speed kicking in, running fast towards Juggernaut. She leaped off the ground, planting one foot on his chest, his face... kicking off backwards... She grabbed two of the knives from her belt, throwing up downward, piercing his boots. The made sure they missed his toes, snuggling between his big toe and the rest. Landing on the ground, she reached back around, Callisto grabbed two more knives, holding one in defense and one if offense.

"Bring it on..."

[emmafrost]

"You really ought to work on your people skills, Ms. Morlock."

The voice of Emma Frost, sarcastic and faintly mocking, sounded in the minds of all those present, most clearly of all in Callisto's, which Emma had skimmed to be sure that she was telling the truth. In seconds, Emma learned of Callisto's involvement with Magneto's Brotherhood, and her supposed death on Alcatraz Island.

Holding to her policy of leaving the minds of others be without good reason, she hadn't dug any deeper. Which she regretted when Callisto attacked. Pausing in mid-sentence wherever she was inside the compound, she turned her concentration on the situation, picturing it simultaneously through the eyes of Juggernaut, Callisto, as well as a clearer view from Dharma's eyes.

Her first reaction was to take control of Callisto's limbs via her brain, and cause her to drop her weapons. But she wasn't one to interfere, and if Callisto had pissed the Juggernaut off enough that he wanted a fight as much as she clearly did, Emma was not going to say otherwise.

She slid the understanding that she was ready to aid if needed into the minds of the Juggernaut and Callisto, letting Callisto understand that should Emma choose to, that she could control her every limb. Emma then grew quiet and became a spectator of the promising event.

[Juggers]

The Juggernaut didn't even so much as rock back on his heels.

"I liked those boots," he rumbled in vague annoyance.

He turned and nodded to Dharma, "afternoon Dharma, this is Callisto, she's tryin' to convince me to let 'er inside to see Pyro. Thought 'e 'ad enough woman troubles at the moment without another mouthy bitch yappin' on at 'im."

As if on cue a cool voice spoke into his mind.

"Get out of my 'ead blondie," Cain scowled.

Then he returned his attention to the battle-ready Callisto.

"I said convince me, not throw things at me. I would of let you in anyways, but you 'ad to come on down 'ere with an attitude."

He folded his arms across his mountainous chest and grinned nastily.

"So ... convince me."

[callisto]

"All talk, no fight..." Callisto said loudly, eyes looking over at the bird who flew above them.

Dharma, eh? Well... you're just a spectator so far...

She had heard the voice in her mind speak earlier, and because the only other mutants around here were Dharma and Juggernaut, she either came from inside the compound or farther away. It didn't matter now, if the telepath really wanted to do something, she would've done it already... it was now time to fight...

Callisto's eyes searched Juggernaut's body, since he wasn't attacking, looking for a weak spot. But knew he didn't have many. He was resistant to much injury, but she wondered if that was only from beating, and if a blade would be of any difference...

She sped forward, passing right past Juggernaut, stabbing the two blades into his shoulder blades. She turned, doing a roundhouse kick into the back of his knees, hoping it would knock him off balance...

[Pyro]

"Contrary to popular belief, not everything on Genosha is solved by acting out some sort of martial arts film," came a voice from somewhere over to the right. A voice that sounded faintly amused. A voice that sounded well and truly in control, and a voice that at least one person present hadn’t expected to hear for a while.

Pyro leaned against a nearby wall, watching the exchange with a look of what could only be described as superiority on his face. He’d never got on particularly well with Callisto, resenting the way in which she’d stepped up to fill the void left by Mystique at Magneto’s side. He’d never liked the way she’d looked down on him and he’d never liked her insinuation that he was an incompetent.

In the few days since Cain had seen Pyro last, the boy had got, if at all possible, even skinnier than he’d been to start with. But the permanently haunted look that had hung about him for the past God-only-knows how long had gone. His eyes no longer held that haunted look, that shred of insanity that had torn him apart.

He was back to being Pyro – and yet even at this distance, it was obvious that there was a lot more to him than there had been before.

The young man pushed himself off the wall and sauntered across.

“Callisto,” he said, acknowledging her by name. “Well, well, well. Last I saw of you, you were doing your best impression of holding onto a live wire.” He glanced over at the Juggernaut.

“You OK there, Cain?”

[Juggers]

The Juggernaut hadn't moved an inch. Kicking a six hundred pound giant was only one step away from kicking a tree trunk. He scratched a shoulder and beamed a smile at Pyro.

"Yeah, just fine."

He narrowed his eyes, "you're lookin' better! You need to go an see Angie though, get 'er to sort you out a roast dinner or somethin'" The lad was starting to look like more like Dead Man, "a big one."

He returned his attention to Callisto.

"Ow," Cain said, very belatedly, in reaction to the knife thrusts.

"You givin' up? Or you gonna try to convince me yet?"

He gave a wink that said he could wait all day if he needed to.

[callisto]

Callisto heard Pyro's voice, and quickly grabbed two more of her knives before standing fully erect and turning to him. It didn't bother her that her back was towards Juggernaut, she'd hear him coming if he decided to lumber after her. She didn't know why she hadn't detected him sooner, but because of the adrenaline of her attempted fight, she had failed to keep tabs on the mutants around her... a rookie mistake.

Pyro looked different somehow... skinnier, even more arogant, something... She could tell he was strong, but Callisto was stronger. He controlled fire, she had so much more. But it wasn't merely something physical, there was something differnt about him underneath his skin... something Callisto couldn't detect. And that frightened her.

“Callisto,” he said, acknowledging her by name. “Well, well, well. Last I saw of you, you were doing your best impression of holding onto a live wire."

Frown forming on her mouth, waiting as he addressed Juggernaut. She started speaking right after Juggernaut addressed him.

"Last I saw you, little boy, you were getting beat by Bobby Drake... I thought you were too hot to handle, guess I thought wrong. How'd you become leader of the Brotherhood anyway? I have no idea why anyone would want a leader like you..."

Callisto may have sounded as arrogant as Pyro was being, but she was trying to test him, see if this group was as good as she hoped it was.

"Ow," Cain said, very belatedly, in reaction to the knife thrusts.

"You givin' up? Or you gonna try to convince me yet?"

She ignored him. She was stronger than him, yes, but his powers had a lot of defense in them. Unless Callisto was creative, she wouldn't be able to beat him... but Juggernaut wouldn't be able to beat Callisto either.

"Let's see if you're still standing if I stab you in the heart..." Callisto whispered, toying with the knife in the air.

[dharma]

"That is enough." Dharma spoke calmly.

Lifting a hand, the scattered sand and earth in a tight circle around Callisto rose to create a stone cylinder ten feet high, trapping Callisto within as if she had suddenly fallen down a well. It allowed her to hear, but not necessarily to move. He was willing to bet the woman could either fly, levitate, or break through the ten-inch stone walls around her, but it gave him time to close the distance between he and Pyro.

He had seen individuals like her before. Trying so hard to prove themselves, they crossed lines and broke trust. What Callisto didn't seem to know was that if she truly intended to stay, she was shattered the fragile tendril of peace they offered one another. And she could do that- Dharma's own definitions of trust were far different.

Dharma's steps were easily and fluid until he stops a few feet before and to Pyro's left. Shifting one foot slightly behind himself, he watched the pillar closely for change.

[callisto]

Callisto watched in interest as the walls came up around her... when it was finished, she reached out to touch the pillar of rock around her. She could easily climb of this prison, but obviously they wanted her in here to protect someone... obviouslly, to them, she was a threat. Callisto decided to stay in this "prison" at least for a little while, but she'd go to the top of the prison instead.

Pressing her back against one wall, she brought her legs up to the opposite, pushing her body up the rock cylinder. Once at the top, she scanned the people present: Dharma, Pyro, and Juggernaut. No reinforcement have arrived.

"I thought the Brotherhood liked action... guess I was wrong..."

[Pyro]

"You aren't exactly endearing yourself to our cause, Callisto," said Pyro, in the most bored-sounding voice she'd ever heard him use. "If all you want to do is kick up your heels and pick a fight, I suggest you go elsewhere for it. We're beyond that now. And as for why I became leader?"

He took a few steps forward. He wasn't afraid of her, not one bit - and she could see that in his green eyes. "I became the leader because nobody else stepped up to the plate. Some of us, at least, still believe in Magneto's dream. How about you, honey? Where've you been? Filing your nails? Getting more tattoos?"

He sneered at her. "If you think I'm going to let you into my base with that sort of attitude on your shoulders, think again. Cain, Dharma, she's not to enter the base without my expressed permission, is that clear?"

[Nightingale]

Alarms were apparently becoming a regular thing at the base, and Angie went through her usual dilemma of 'Can I help, can I not, what if I get myself hurt and then I'm useless?' as the wailing alarm disturbed her from the email she was writing.

She heard thumping, shouting, then the alarms went off. Apparently Juggernaut had gone to see what was going on again, which was probably a good thing. He had the ability to intimidate away plenty of the non-welcome, unless they knew him or were looking for a fight, and then she had to think that not only were they not welcome, but they were probably pretty stupid, too.

She ducked out the doorway, looked down the hall. Left and right and left again, the way she'd been taught to check for traffic as a girl. Slipping down the hallway quietly, not seeing anyone inside, Angie headed in a direction that she knew would lead to life. Or, well, at least would lead to Gill. She padded up toward his room and waved to the trout-headed mutant as she entered his smoke-filled domain. He was watching the confrontation over the surveillance, while his monitor showed a picture of a woman doing... well, something, Angie didn't really want to know the specifics. It was entirely possible that she was a mutant, from the way she'd managed to... No, looking away Angie decided that she really didn't want to know.

"Don't you ever open the window, Gill?" He looked exhasperated at her ignorance as she pushed open the metal hatch to look down at the assembled group. Voices floated up, Pyro flexing his authority, and Angie looked to Gill quizically.

It didn't take him long to explain in a low voice who Callisto was. The hatch stayed open as the young Australian watched curiously. Gill shook his head as all the smoke started to float out, tendrils being caught by the wind to clear the room more than had happened in... well, quite possibly forever. Angie didn't notice as he muttered to himself and lit up another cigarette.

[Juggers]

"Right you are boss," the Juggernaut chuckled.

"S'ok anyway, I told Gill to leave the sentries on; ain't nobody comin' in without your say so." He looked up at Callisto perched on top the the stone tube and smiled.

It was good to see Pyro out and about and more importantly; all together. Cain still didn't trust Emma further than he could spit, but she did seem to have done a good job of fixing the lad up. He quietly wondered when that would come back to bite them on the arse.

Really needed Python in that machine shop.

"So, you gonna play nice yet? Or do you wanna try your luck at the door?"

Looking up at Gill's window he could see Angie peeping out and gave her a wave. Any unwelcome guest would get one hell of a tesla powered shock if they tried to force the issue.

The Juggernaut looked forward to it.

[callisto]

Looking at them all, frowning... Seemed that none of them wanted to fight anymore, just sit back and wait for someone to come and finish them off instead.

"Fine, if you don't want me in the Brotherhood, then can you direct me to Magneto's hiding place? Maybe he'll be of more welcome than you..."

Callisto jumped from the top of the structure, landing on her feet, righting herself. Walking over to Juggernaut, she retrieved her swords, and started to walk away.

Let's see if they DO want me or not...

[Pyro]

John knew that Cain's response to this situation would be simply 'whatever'. He also suspected that Dharma would be pretty much the same. However, he knew well that Callisto was in possession of more than one highly useful abilities.

He suspected, with a sense of awareness that he'd never possessed before that the decision would be up to him. He watched her for a few moments, and waiting for the right moment.

The right moment came when she suggested that Magneto was in hiding. With a snarl, the young man flicked fire into his hand, fire that swiftly grew and took shape, not dissimilar to the fire whip that he had used on Mystique in the corridors of the base - oh, such a long time ago now. It was only days, but to John, who had been on the most intense mental journey of his life, it felt like a lifetime, almost as though it were something that had happened to someone else, somewhere else.

The whip cracked loudly, spitting fire as it connected with itself and licked the back of Callisto's neck.

"Nobody said we didn't want you, you stupid idiot," he said. "Let's face a few facts here. You deserted us after Alcatraz. What is it that's made you suddenly want to come back?" He broke away from Cain and Dharma and moved towards her swiftly. "Magneto's dead. He's not hiding anywhere. I've accepted that. Time to move on. If you can do that and if you can accept my leadership, then you're welcome here. Only then."

[callisto]

She felt the fire hit her back, and she fell forward, onto the ground. SHIT! Why didn't I see that coming? When she hit the ground, she stayed there, waiting for her healing ability to kick in, staring down Pyro in the meantime.

"Nobody said we didn't want you, you stupid idiot," he said. "Let's face a few facts here. You deserted us after Alcatraz. What is it that's made you suddenly want to come back?" He broke away from Cain and Dharma and moved towards her swiftly. "Magneto's dead. He's not hiding anywhere. I've accepted that. Time to move on. If you can do that and if you can accept my leadership, then you're welcome here. Only then."

Magneto's... DEAD? Impossible!

"I didn't desert you," Callisto said. "I was healing. I almost died back there, and it took me all this time to heal... and now, I'm only here because of the cure. There are hardly any mutants in the streets anymore, and all that are are low levels. I can't rebuild the Morlocks with that, they cower... hide... no longer with the will to fight. What else am I supposed to do?"

The healing factor kicked in, slowly fixing her back. She stood up.

"I am here because I want to do something, and I guess I'm here to stay..."

He can't be dead... You're a liar, John, and I'll find out where he is... and as soon as I do, I'll be gone...